Balkans

SOFIA, Bulgaria Former Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku was released from detention Thursday (June 25th) but was not allowed to leave Bulgaria. The leader of the Social Democrat Party was detained Tuesday by Bulgarian police at a border crossing with Macedonia, based on an international arrest warrant issued by Serbia.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) High Representative Valentin Inzko insisted on Thursday (June 25th) that there is no alternative to dialogue among the three constituent peoples in the country. He was meeting with Milorad Dodik of Republika Srpska’s Alliance of Independent Social Democrats and Dragan Covic of the Croat Democratic …

SKOPJE, Macedonia Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak on Thursday (June 25th) urged both Macedonia and Greece to resolve their long-standing name dispute. At a meeting in Skopje, he assured his Macedonian counterpart, Antonio Milososki, of Slovakia’s support for the country’s EU and NATO bids.

ZAGREB, Croatia The country celebrated the 18th anniversary of its independence from Yugoslavia on Thursday (June 25th). President Stipe Mesic, Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic, and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader laid flowers and lit candles at the Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb to honour the memory of all Croats who died in …

TIRANA, Albania Albania opened a new border crossing with Kosovo on Thursday (June 25th) in the municipality of Dragash. The Glloboqice-Borje crossing is only for pedestrian traffic during limited periods each day. The facility is important for the Gorani and Bosnian minority communities, who are concentrated on both sides of …

PRISTINA, Kosovo The government has decided to conduct a population census in the spring of 2011, local media reported Thursday (June 25th). Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said respecting international standards will be key to its success. Kosovo has not conducted a census since the 1980s.

On July 2 OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will arrive in Armenia. As press service of the Yerevan office of OSCE told to a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will arrive in Yerevan immediately after paying visit to Baku. “ OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will not go to Georgia, since activities …

BELGRADE President Boris Tadic says he expects to receive explanation from Bulgarian authorities regarding the Ceku case, B92 informed. Tadic told reporters in parliament in Belgrade on Friday that the decision to release Agim Ceku from custody does not contribute to “good neighborly relations”. He added that Serbia will continue …

The US State Department is denying any claims by Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic concerning an alleged deal made with US diplomat Richard Holbrooke for immunity. The United States State Department has insisted that no agreement was ever made to provide Radovan Karadzic with immunity from prosecution.

The EU will fund a 1.9 million euro cross-border cooperation project between Serbia and Montenegro, and has opened up bidding for project proposals, reports say. According to a statement by the Serbian Finance Ministry, the project will be co-financed by participant countries to demonstrate their commitment to achieving the goals …